Photographs
by SightX
Summary: Looking in his drawer, Yugi finds a small black photo album that he has never seen before. Whose could it be? What kinds of pictures are inside? [some implied shonenai] Rated T to be safe. [C O M P L E T E]
1. Ch 1 The Album

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Hey there story readers! my name is SightX and this is my first ever fanfic. I usually read andcomment on storiesso you might have seen me gracing the pages of your reviews. Anyways, I want to keep this short. 

Title: **Photographs**

Disclaimer: Me no own, So you no sue! Yugi-oh and post-it notes do not belong to me nor am I making money off of either. Too bad...

**A Note to the Reader:** I would love to write more to this so please review and let me feel appricited. Everyone loves it and I will love you in return. As for some technical things, in my story it takes place somewhere before the end of Yu-Gi-Oh, (no spoilers here,I havent cheated and watched the end yet myself ) and I use mostly the japanese names but don't quote me. Oh, and for the record, Yami (in my story) has no real physical body, he is a spirit...get it? I hope so. Any questions, just send me a review and I'll answer/try and fix whatever I can. Enjoy!

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Yugi was bored. The young teen lay fully clothed in his bed, his one booted foot tapping irritably against the wall. He was waiting for Yami to return from his "quiet time" so that he could show the former pharaoh his new deck format. 

The hikari had tried not to be offended, but it had begun to irk him that his other self needed to be alone at least once in a day. He said he needed a time of quiet; a time to think in his soul room, _without_ Yugi. The boy had agreed not to intrude on these times, and had kept quiet about how much it was beginning to annoy him.

"He needs a break from me?" The teen muttered, still tapping his foot. "He's the one who always gets me into trouble, and drags me on these save the world journeys, and _he_ has to take a break from _me_ to think? What does he need to think about, he lost all of his memories." Yugi knew he was being bitter, but he couldn't help the words. The pharaoh was one of his best friends and even shared his thoughts. It hurt that he didn't want to share that bond.

Whenever Yami went on his "alone times", it was inevitable that Yugi would also be inclined to sit and mull over his thoughts. Yugi did not like to mull, he preferred just to be happy in an almost ignorant way. He believed everything would work out in the end so why bother worrying about it? But lately, he had been worrying. Yugi was troubled by one thought that danced endlessly through his mind. _Am I truly happy?_

Annoyed with this way of thinking, the boy got up swiftly; ignoring the mess he had made of the sheets, and started to prowl his room uneasily. His amethyst eyes roved over his belongings; a clock, a stereo, his duel deck and duel disk. Yugi's gaze caught and held on his desk. Nearly everything in his room was neat and tidy—his grandpa wanted it that way—but one of the drawers of his desk was hanging crooked and off the track as if it had been shut improperly in a hurry.

"Odd." Yugi muttered, reaching to pull it out and jar the drawer back into place, "I don't remember leaving it like that…" when he yanked on it, it rolled out and back onto the guide. Peering inside, he was surprised to see a small black photo album lying in the bottom. _This drawer was empty this morning,_ the teen mused silently.

Confused, and—as always—curious to a fault, Yugi pulled it out, holding the object gently in his hands. He did not recognize the heavy book, and turned it over to see the front. Written there in bubblegum pink marker was "ANZU'S PHOTO ALBUM".

Strangely, it was crossed out, and written above in bold white letters was "My memories." Yugi felt a thought stir in his mind, he was certain he had seen this writing somewhere else before…

Tentivly, an odd feeling in his throat, the hikari opened the cover of the album. A tiny pink post-it note was crumpled and stuck inside. Gently he pulled it off and it read:

"Pharaoh,

Hope you like the pictures! You said you wanted ones with all of us in them so I gave you all I had! Enjoy!

Love,

Anzu"

Yugi's eyes widened. "This is Yami's book?" he breathed in disbelief. "With pictures of…?" his heart started to beat erratically, but he couldn't place why. Trembling slightly—was it fear or anticipation?—he looked at the first picture in the album's plastic pages. It was of himself and Jounouchi, standing in front of their high school on their first day back. Jou had his arm slung over Yugi's narrow shoulders and was pretending to give his friend a noogie.

"I remember this day," Yugi muttered, passing a finger over the picture. "Anzu brought her camera, and she took the picture…"

Suddenly, the boy brought the photo close to his amethyst eyes and looked at it intently, his whole body numb as he tried to understand what he was seeing. He could make it out clearly, even through the plastic film. Undeniably, there in the hazy background, leaning casually against a tree with eyes closed, was…Yami.

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Oo aren't you intriuged? please review! Happily accepting flames and worship! (pssst, worshipers get cookies, wink wink...) **


	2. Ch 2 The Spirit

Hey faithful readers. How nice it is to see you back, or even here for the first time. So here's chapter two, with special thanks to my first reviewers! That means **Pace, Linzy, **and **Yangs.** You guys are what make this possible, the feedback was wonderful. Thank you so much! I mentioned the pairing s TBA but I kind of wanted it to be a surprise. It will be up in the next chapter or so, but it is probably obvious as it is. I'm sneaky.

**Disclaimer:** Do I really have to? If you insist, (and they do) I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or its characters. And I happen to like ff so don't kick me out!

**Author note:** Just let it fly. It will make sense at the end. Feel free to point out the horrible inconsistencies anyways. I have made 49 signed reviews, what about you? That's what I thought. If I can't get you with bribes I will get you with guilt!

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Yugi sank into his desk chair, making it almost roll out from under him in his haste to prevent his trembling legs from collapsing. The photo album was still held in his small, pale hand, and he forced himself to look at it one more time. 

There was simply no denying it. Yami, the 3000 year old spirit of the puzzle was in Anzu's picture she took not three weeks ago. The pharaoh was small, and in the background, but Yugi's eyes caught and held on the so very familiar figure of his partner.

"How?" Yugi whispered, his eyes searching side to side as if he may find the answer hidden in the smiles of himself and Jou. "The pharaoh isn't—he isn't _solid_." He threaded a hand through his tri-coloured hair, and leaned his elbow on his desk. "he is a spirit. I can see through him! Unless he is in my body; but, in the picture, there I am with Jou. And Yami looks real."

In the flatness of the photograph, Yami lounged his long back against the tree. His eyes were closed, hiding their normal crimson hue that Yugi was so used to seeing. The spirit was obviously not paying attention to the camera or his surroundings. The tall egyptian had his arms folded over the millennium puzzle, and his head down, masking his profile. He was as real looking in the background as Yugi and Jou were in the forground, there were no signs that he was a spirit at all.

A jar in his conciousness alerted Yugi to the impending return of Yami from his solitude. Hastily, with panic making his chest ache, the boy removed the first photograph carefully, and tucked it into his math textbook that lay to his right. Swiftly, his hands shaking, he replaced the album exactly where he had found it, and closed the drawer with a bang.

"Hello Yugi. I am back."

Slamming the text book shut, Yugi kept his back turned to his partner as he composed himself quickly. He forced in a deep breath and plastered a smile on his lips. "Hey Yami!" he said, nervously turning around, his spine stiff. He wondered with shock if he would see the solid body of his other self as he was in the picture, or the normal spirit he was used to. Yugi exhaled sharply in relief as the pharaoh raised one perfect translucent eyebrow.

"Something wrong, Aibou?" he asked in his deep, quiet voice that resonated in Yugi's thoughts.

Yami stood tall in front of his seated friend, looking down at him with intense crimson eyes flecked with worry. He wore almost the same clothes as Yugi did, leather pants with a loose sleeveless black shirt. The millennium puzzle seemed to shine dully in the fluorescent lights, as it swung gently around the pharaoh's neck. Despite this, the teen could see his rumpled bed through Yami's figure and the egyptian's outline was blurred, not solid. Yugi was relieved and vaguely—disapointed?

"No, no, nothing wrong." The hikari chirped in response to the querry, his hands still so tight on the math text that the corners dug deep into his palms. "Anything wrong with you?" he asked in return, still smiling.

Yami's returning smile seemed distant. "No, I am well, thank you." He paused and let the silence hang, surprised that it was awkward. It was never awkward before… "Weren't you…going to show me your new cards?"

"Oh!" the boy looked to his deck which seemed to wait pointedly on his desk. "Yeah, I was, but, um." _Why am I being like this?_ Yugi chided himself, making sure that the bond between him and his dark was firmly shut._ I should just ask him about the photos, not take one and hide it!_

"But?" prompted Yami, concerned. "Yugi, are you sure that you're ok—"

"Yes!" he interrupted sharply. "It's just Jounouchi called and wanted to talk to me!" the lie seemed so abrasive in Yugi's ears. He could not remember a time he had ever lied to his other self before. But he wanted to know about the picture and how a spirit could be solid in one. He knew he could not ask the pharaoh without revealing that he had went snooping into the book even _after_ he knew it belonged to Yami.

Standing quickly, the boy avoided the confused crimson gaze. "I'll show you later, ok?" he muttered, grabbing the math text book and almost running to the door of his room. He shut it firmly behind himself, and was gone.

The pharaoh was left standing in his partner's empty room alone, staring at the cold millennium puzzle that Yugi had left behind.

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**Again I ask for the reviews. Anything is accepted wholeheartedly! Thanks so much! **


	3. Ch 3 The Problem

**Disclaimer:** There is most likely no real legal way I can take YGO from its rightful owners, and me having some sort of irrational fear of prison…herby proclaim that I do not, nor will I ever, own YGO. (Drat)

**Author Note: **Thank you again, and again to all the people who reviewed. I noticed with a bit of chagrin that my chapters are quite short. I hope to remedy that with this one. With a healthy breakfast of pop tarts and ginger ale I am ready to go. Enjoy! Oh, and because one of you asked, no, this is not like Harry Potter, the pictures don't move. As for why Yami is there, that is the mystery, ne?

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Yugi turned around the street corner, and then paused to lean on a lamp post once the Game Shop was out of sight. His head ached where he leaned it on the cold metal, but it was a firm reminder. 

The young hikari looked down at the textbook held tight in his hands. He had left so suddenly, with no real plan in his mind other than escape from Yami's questioning gaze.

With a shock, Yugi realized he had left the millennium puzzle back in his room, where it lay abandoned. His neck felt naked without the familiar weight, and his mind was void of the pharaoh's even distant presence. The boy couldn't remember willingly leaving Yami behind; willingly submitting to the static loneliness of his singular mind.

He was briefly tempted to go back to get the puzzle, but the weight of the text in his arms reminded him and made him pause. "If I go back," he whispered to the concrete below his feet, "Then he will know I lied about Jou." The boy stiffened his shoulders and forced his chin up. He had survived years without the spirit's presence in his thoughts. Surely he could make it to Jou's house on his own.

Mind made up, and course plotted, the amethyst eyed boy clutched the book a little too protectively against his chest as he walked swiftly in the direction of Jou's. The pale dusk seemed to nip at his heels, causing him to quicken his pace.

He arrived at the admittedly shanty apartment complex with ease. Yugi hoped Jou was home, and willing to talk about the picture, and what the image of a 3000 year old pharaoh was doing in its midst's.

The buzzer for entrance to the building was broken, so the boy just slipped inside the front desk area in silence. He avoided touching the crusty door handle as much as possible while keeping his book close. The man who sat at the front desk did not even look at Yugi, so the boy shuffled past, awkwardly heading to the elevator.

Poking the floor three button with the corner of his jacket, the hikari waited as the machine jarred into life and groaned in its ascent. Walking into the hall and reaching room 303, Yugi paused outside the door and listened. No sounds issued from within, which meant that Jou's father was out for the night.

_What am I going to say?_ Yugi bit his lip lightly as he thought._ I guess…I guess I could tell him I found the picture at my house, and…I wanted to know if it was his. _Yugi nodded to himself. It was a half truth at best, but it was all he could do. _Then Jou will look at the photo and I can tell if he sees Yami there too. I can tell that it's not just me who sees him._

Before he could stop himself, Yugi reached and banged on the door, much harder than he had wished. A slight blush stained his cheeks as he waited anxiously for the door to open.

"Whaddya want?" a voice growled, muffled by the closed door. It was definitely Jounouchi, and he sounded like he had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

"It's me Jounouchi." Yugi called back, wishing his friend wasn't so paranoid and would just let him in. "I came to ask you something."

"Yug'? I can't see ya out there."

Rolling his eyes, Yugi went up on tip toe so that Jou could see him through the peep. The small teen waved at the small glass hole until he heard the chains, locks and deadbolts being undone. Finally, Jou opened the door, and smiled down at his friend. "Sorry. Dint see ya down there. Heh."

Yugi's smile was brief before concern took over his soft features. "Hey, can I come in? I'd rather talk inside if that's ok?" he looked so small, standing there with a giant book held desperately close.

Jou blinked, and tried to flatten his ruffled hair and wrinkled clothes. His liquid brown eyes looked uncomfortable. "Ah, well Yug' this aint the best time, ya kno'? You shoulda called and I would…"

The blush moved to stain Yugi's ears, tipping them red. "Oh." He said, his stomach turning into a cold uncomfortable lump. "Right. Yeah, I will just catch you at school, ok? Thanks Jou!" he turned sharply, irritated that tears made his eyes burn. He almost ran to the elevator, maliciously punching the down arrow as Jou looked at his retreating back.

"Hey, Yugi, wait—" the blonde tried to call him back, but Yugi had already jumped into the elevator, the doors closing behind him with a rusty creak. Jou shook his head, and turned back in to his room, closing himself in with a soft click. He would talk to his little buddy tomorrow about what was bothering him.

Yugi leaned against the elevator wall, and tried to breathe without shaking. "Why is this making me so upset?" he muttered to the florescent interior. "It's just a picture. And it belongs to Yami; Anzu gave it to him. I should just put it back and forget about it." Practically running down the street to the Game Shop, Yugi was home in a matter of minutes.

He hurriedly removed his shoes, and noted the absence of his grandpa's runners. That would mean it was just him and Yami in the house. For a reason he could not place, that brought Yugi a feeling of dread. His mind was calculating out a way to return the picture without his other self finding out about it.

_I was stupid,_ the hikari said to himself, shamed._ I shouldn't have blown off the pharaoh. Now he'll think something's wrong. I overreacted when I saw Yami in the picture. Why did it bother me so much?_ Trudging up the stairs wearily, Yugi pushed open the door to his room, but found it eerily empty.

He placed the textbook back on his desk, and looked around for his partner. Yugi moved to loom over the glinting millennium puzzle. He did not need to touch it to know that Yami was inside. It felt like the pharaoh was…sulking? The teen shrugged, and then whirled around.

This was his chance to return the picture! Quietly, though he knew that the spirit could never hear him anyways, he moved to the text and pulled out the photo. He was careful to touch only the corners; he would never wreck something that belonged to Yami.

Yugi pulled open the drawer, and feeling like a criminal, looked inside. The photo fell from his numb hands to flutter gracefully to the floor. Hismind would barely comprehend the startling fact...The drawer was completely empty.

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**To all who review, you rock. I am loving the fan action, it makes me feel cool. Get it? Fan, cool? (sulks. Ok, I won't quit my day job. lol)**


	4. Ch 4 The Memories

**Disclaimer:** shame on you, go read chapter one! (hee hee)

**Author Note:** Oh great, you are thinking, more notes! But honestly, they are important. Two things: one, there is a **flashback** in this chapter. I hope you know that it is in italics and happened in the past. You are smart people, I am sure. And two: I do say some things that came out of an "Egypt book" but I am sure if you look it up on the net, you would find I am a bit off in my info. It's a fanFICTION so I know that everything I say in here isn't always correct! I had to fudge a bit. Ok, thanks to all 12 reviews so far, keep it up. Enjoy.

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Yugi couldn't believe it. The album was gone! The boy franticly opened the other drawers in his desk, but they all were exactly as always, filled with papers and nothing more. He turned rapidly, and began to tear apart the bed sheets, hoping against all hope that he had left the small black book there. 

"No," he muttered, his eyes searching, "No, no, no! I put it back, I know I did, I put it back in the drawer!" Yugi looked under and behind the desk. "It was right here!"

After half an hour of thankless searching, he sat down heavily on his bed, and put his aching head in his hands. The young hikari forced himself to calm down; he was being stupid, acting like this. He needed to think for a moment. _There was no way that Yami could have moved it, he would need my body for that. And grandpa would never touch my things if they were in my room. _Yugi banged the palm of his hand on his forehead, his large eyes screwed shut in thought. _Then who? Who would take a photo album that no one knew about except for Yami and…_

The boy sat bolt upright, and muttered softly in realization, "Anzu."

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A frantic pounding on the door roused the teen girl from her half-sleep. She rose from the couch and pressed pause on the movie, walking briskly to answer the door. Her brown hair was slightly tousled and her eyes were half-lidded and sleepy. "Yeah?" she lightly demanded of the person in her walkway.

She felt her heart race for a moment. The pharaoh had come to visit again! But as she looked, she realized it was in fact a distressed looking Yugi, his wide amethyst eyes pleading with her. Anzu hid her disappointment. "Oh, hello Yugi. What are you doing here?"

The young boy simply blurted it out. "Anzu, did you give the pharaoh a book of photos?"

His tone was desperate, and he looked so insignificant, wrapped in the darkness of the night. "Please, I have to know."

XXXX

"_I was…wondering something, Anzu. Wondering if you could do something for me." The pharaoh sounded worried, as he sat awkwardly on Anzu's avocado green couch. "But, I don't want Yugi to find out." Was that a blush she saw creep up his cheeks?_

"_Um," she mumbled, twisting her hands. She was still confused about the relationship between Yugi and the pharaoh. They shared a body, but they were two different souls, and very different people. "How can you keep anything from Yugi when you and him share a…" she looked anywhere but at the tall boy in front of her. She had to squeak the last word. "Body?"_

_The pharaoh blinked, and looked preoccupied. "It is difficult. But, I found a way to do it. I feel dishonest, but I needed to talk to you alone." He left it at that, but she could tell there was so much more. _

_Anzu gently pressed him for answers. If she went too far, she would hit his brick wall, and he would go silent. She wanted him to talk to her, to see her as a friend. "You are still, that is to say, Yugi is still in…there?" she gestured vaguely to have something for her hands to do. _

"_Yes, he is still my partner." The pharaoh said it a bit forcefully, and then let his rigid shoulders relax. "I found that when he sleeps, I can switch with him. Right now he is sleeping in his soul room in the puzzle, unaware of any of this. No different than in true sleep." _

No wonder he is edgy,_ Anzu thought_, if he is worried that Yugi could wake up at anysecond and find out!_ "I really don't know about this," she hedged, "it doesn't feel right. Maybe you should come back later when Yugi is with you."_

"_I would not have done this if it wasn't absolutely necessary, Anzu. I would never hurt Yugi just so I could go for an idle walk in the night air! This…this is something that I already regret. Please don't make it a waste of my time as well." His deep voice pierced her. _

_Finally, his gaze caught and held hers, and all her girlish thoughts of romance were forgotten. He held so much emotion in his eyes! Anzu thought it was perhaps because he had forgotten to hide his feelings; being in the puzzle for so long. None the less, his expression troubled her._

"_You know that I do not belong here. I am living, if you can call it that, on borrowed time. One day I will have to return to the realm of the spirits and leave this all behind. I fear that I will be called there before I get my memories back." Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed her arm, his grip tight. Instead of the normal thrill she felt at his touch, she felt only dread._

"_When Ra calls me back, I fear I will lose everything all over again; all my present memories of Yugi, Jounouchi, Honda, Kaiba, and you. I will loose all of you who I treasure. I don't want that." Anzu wondered where he acquired such a great sadness that weighed him down. "I can't talk to Yugi about this…so I was hoping you could help. Is there any way I can have something to keep my present memories safe in?"_

_She was puzzled. Something to keep his memories in? Then, in a moment of unusual clarity, she understood. Anzu had read up on Egypt, in the hopes that it would help her get close to the spirit of the puzzle, and in doing so, had stumbled upon a certain passage about burials. The book said that in ancient Egypt, the people were buried with their most treasured possessions, so that in the afterlife, their souls would remember. If those objects were stolen or lost, then the soul was doomed to wander endlessly, trapped somewhere in limbo, unsure of where he or she belonged. _

"_I don't really know anything…"she began, but his grip on her arm increased, and she moved to stand up, breaking his spell. "Hold on." Anzu rushed to her room, and pulled out a pink flowered bin. Near the top was a small black photo album. Satisfied with her choice, she found a small post-it note and scribbled a few words onto it. Making sure to tuck the note where he would find it later, she picked up the black album and came back to the living room._

_She licked her lips, and held it out to him. He looked at the book, then at her, his slanted crimson eyes puzzled and wary. "What is it?" he asked, but already, his dark hand had moved towards it. He took it from her and she smiled in delight. He struggled to read the unfamiliar text on the front. Though he could speak fluently, any script that was not the ancient hieroglyphs confused him._

"_It's a photo album. You put pictures of your friends in there, so you can look at them later on, when they are gone. Open it; it has pictures of all of us, like you wanted." She smiled at his apprehension as he cracked open the cover. It quickly turned to awe mixed with fear._

_Yami looked at her, the book held loosely on his lap. "You have…captured the souls of Jounouchi and Honda on this card. Why would you do that, Anzu? What shadow magic is this?" _

_She waved her hands in defense. She hid a smile at the look on the unshakable pharaoh's face. "No, it's not their souls! It's just a picture I took with my camera. Pictures are just copies, or like…" she hummed as she thought of a good ancient resemblance. "Paintings! Pictures are like modern paintings. It's just an image of Jou and Honda." _

_In wonder, the spirit trailed his long fingers over the plastic film-covered image. "A painting," he murmured to himself, reaching to flip over the page. He smiled a rare smile as he saw the next photo in the book, a candid one of his partner and Jou playing a heated game of duel monsters. The pharaoh looked up into Anzu's eyes. "I could never take such a thing from you. It is yours to cherish, not to give away." _

_Anzu smiled and brushed a strand of her auburn hair from her eyes. "I want to give it to you. It's something you can have, even when—" her voice cracked, and she cleared her throat to cover it, "even when you have to go. Take it, it's yours." _Pharaoh,_ she thought, looking at his bent head, _I would give anything to see you smile again.

_Flipping the pages one by one, he stopped suddenly, and looked stricken. His hand wavered above one of the pictures, and he touched it with a trembling finger. "Anzu," he said hoarsely, "Can this…camera that makes the paintings, can it make one of the spirits?" _

_Puzzled, she craned to see over his shoulder. "Did you ask if a camera can take a picture of a spirit?" it was just a normal picture of Yugi, smiling and blushing. Anzu remembered taking it about a year ago. "No, that is jut Yugi." She looked at his pale face, and wondered what the pharaoh saw. "Are you alright?"_

_He traced an outline over the picture, his eyes never leaving it or his partner's face. "You see nothing else here but Yugi? Nothing else?" he sounded tense, unsure of something._

_The teen girl looked again. "No, it's just Yugi. I remember taking it, it was a shot of just him by himself; the one next to it is the one of all of us."_

_The pharaoh flipped through the rest of the pictures one by one, his crimson eyes searching for something only he could see. Finally, he snapped the album shut and rose to his height swiftly but with grace. Yami smiled briefly at Anzu, who was sitting on the couch, still confused._

"_Thank you so much for this, Anzu, it is very important to me." He waved a hand over the shoulder as he moved silently to the door, and then paused, his voice sounding forced and strained. "Please don't tell Yugi that we met tonight, or about the album." With a click, the door shut behind him, and he was gone, leaving Anzu to wonder what it is that he had seen in Yugi's face._

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**Oh and one last thing, if you please. No Anzu/Tea bashing or what not. She is just a character, if you hate her, fine. But if you review, don't just tell me she sucks and take her out of my story, she is already there. Other than that, review please! (oh, and HondaTristan...sorry for any confusion)**


	5. Ch 5 The Truth

**Disclaimer:** You know the drill. I don't own it, blah blah blah.

**Author Note:** Drat this gets harder each chapter, I have to make sure it is as close to perfect as possible or a certain reviewer pops up and catches me! Ha ha, I don't mind striving to be my best. So here are a few things about this chapter. I don't mean to sound odd, but please don't think that Yugi is out of character! I pride myself with watching each and every episode of YGO that I can, so I do know a thing or two. True, Yugi is normally a bubbly happy little guy, but there are also times when he is serious and down to earth. (His duel against a Marik-controlled Jou, for example, or the soul deul he has with Yami after the Orikalkos (sp?) takes his soul.) Ok, now that I am done justifying myself (oop) read on.

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"Did you, Anzu?" The small sound f Yugi's voice called the girl out of her memories. She looked down at him, his wide eyes hopeful. "Did you give him the pictures?" 

Anzu shook her head, not in disagreement, but in disbelief, and opened the door wide. "Come inside, Yugi. It's freezing outside, and you aren't even wearing a coat." He reluctantly followed her in, shuffling his feet awkwardly on the welcome mat. She ushered him down and into her bedroom, looking around nervously, worried that her parents would wake up. Gently, she closed the door, and leaned against it.

"Sit down, Yugi." She motioned to the bed, and he tried to get as far away from the pink comforter as possible while still taking a seat on it. She sat on the other end, watching him worriedly. The teen girl knew that this was not going to be easy. "So…" she trailed off, unsure of where to start.

He licked his lips, and kept his eyes on his legs. "I…I know that the pharaoh must have come to you, Anzu. I was looking around my room, and I found a black photo album." He swallowed hard. The truth might be hard to accept, but he had to know; to know if his yami had betrayed him. "I know it was from you, but…I don't remember you giving it to him."

Her hands were clenched so tight that her nails dug into her palms. She could say nothing to her friend; only sit there in shame, her eyes downcast.

Yugi looked up, his voice almost cracking as he spoke. "Aren't you my friend, Anzu? I thought you were." The boy looked away, and said in an almost-whisper. "I thought you wouldn't lie to me. I thought that the pharaoh wouldn't, either."

To her annoyance, her eyes became blurry with tears. "Of course I'm your friend, Yugi!" Anzu knew she could not look at his face. If she did, she would have to accept that whatever hurt he was feeling was her fault. "I didn't want it to be like this. I never wanted to get between you and the pharaoh. But, when he came here, he asked me not to tell you. I thought it would be fine, but now I know that that was wrong; so terribly wrong." _When did I become so selfish?_ Anzu thought bitterly, a tear dripping onto her leg. _How could I have lied to my best friend just so I could get close to the pharaoh?_

"That makes no sense, Anzu," Yugi burst out, making her look up sharply into his crushed face. "The only time you can see Yami is if he's in my body. He couldn't hide from me while he did that!" the boy thought of the time he had helped his other self go on a date with Anzu, and he felt his cheeks warm. "I mean, I don't intrude or anything, I don't poke my nose around if he is doing something. But, I'm still there, I am still aware of what he does, just like he knows what I do as long as I wear the puzzle." _That's why we were partners._ Yugi thought.

Her expression was pained as she wiped her tear away with a shaky hand. She had to face Yugi and tell him the truth like he deserved. "I didn't think it was right, but he was worried. He told me that he came while you were sleeping in your soul room or something. I'm not going to pretend I know what that means, but…it sounded wrong."

Yugi sat on the bed, but the roaring in his ears made him deaf to anything else Anzu said. _He put my consciousness in my soul room and walked away with my body while I was sleeping?_ He was shaking, and there was something wrong with his heart; it was pounding painfully in his chest. _How could Yami do that to me? I thought he was different—after the duel with Kaiba, when he pushed it too far—I forgave him, and I was sure he had changed. He told me he would never do that…never again._

"Yugi, say something." She reached to touch his bare shoulder, but he recoiled from her hand as if burned. His shook his had from side to side in disbelief. She sat back, hurt by his rejection, but bitterly understanding why.

"He came here." He muttered, his eyes distant, his mind whirling out of control. "He came in my body." His tone was desperate, and he turned to stare at Anzu, his eyes pained. "Why? What did he want to hide from me?"

"I don't know, Yugi. He just asked me not to tell you, and I felt terrible about it. He said that he might have to go back to the spirit realm soon, and he asked me for a place to keep his memories of us safe." She wanted Yugi to understand, how this was important to the pharaoh. "I gave him the album, and then he left. It didn't feel right for him to do that to you, but…" she trailed off, any excuse she could say would fall short. _I'm sorry Yugi; I didn't mean to betray your trust in me._

Yugi stood up stiffly, his bangs hiding his eyes. Anzu noticed with alarm that his knuckles were bone white from clenching his fists. She had never seen him so rigid before, and his posture was defensive. Anzu realized that Yugi was not just annoyed; he was angry! She had only ever seen him like this once before, during his duel with the pharaoh in the valley of the lost souls. She watched helplessly as the boy walked to the door, and stopped suddenly as he passed by one of the pictures that was taped to Anzu's wall.

She had a whole collection of loose photos taped haphazardly to the tacky wallpaper. Some were of her parents, while others were of her friends. The one that had caught the teen's eye was the one of himself, smiling and blushing awkwardly. Again, one element of the picture caught his attention—the fact that Yami was there as plain as day. The spirit was standing, hands folded behind him as he looked out the window, the sun glancing across his crimson eyes, looking for the world, completely real.

Viciously, Yugi ripped the picture off the wall, and shoved it at Anzu. She looked at it for a moment, and then looked at Yugi, her eyes puzzled. He winced—an expression that did not belong on his innocent face. "You don't see him, do you?" he pointed at the picture. "You just see me."_ Just like always. Only I can see him._ The boy felt his lower lip tremble. He had promised himself that he wouldn't cry in front of her…

She held the picture loosely in her hands, and remembered that the pharaoh had seen something else in this picture as well. She scanned it, but no matter how hard or long she looked at it, the picture only showed her Yugi's face, her widow in the background. She laughed lightly to ease the tension, he had always been so willing to turn things into a joke, but he did not respond at all. She knew then that this would not blow over with a simple smile and a slap on the back like so many other times. "I'm sorry, Yugi. What do you—"

He turned sharply, and stalked out of the room, his mind buzzing. He paused at the doorway to her room silently. Anzu's smile faded as she was struck by how much he looked like the spirit had that day; so lost and pained. But Yugi neither turned, nor spoke, just sniffed once—hard—and left.

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**Hey there. Feel free to review with your own thoughts, whatever they may be. I love to read them, and usually I will write you back if you have a question for me, so don't be shy! Until next time...thanks for reading!**


	6. Ch 6 The Confrontation

**Disclaimer:** Yawn…go check chapter one.

**Author Note:** I think this was, by far, the hardest chapter to write. And, it really actually made me sad. I wanted it to be serious, no screaming, and no yelling. Just…quiet pain. Honestly, I need a hug.

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Yugi held the cold millennium puzzle in his numb hands, and sat on his bare floor. He didn't want to do this, but he had to; he had to know. The teen boy shook the puzzle in annoyance. Normally, Yami came out whenever he felt Yugi's presence. When the spirit still did not appear, Yugi frowned. "Of course you won't make this easy." He muttered out loud. "Of course I have to go in there and get you." 

Reaching inside his mind, and through the bond he shared with the pharaoh, Yugi mustered up his courage, and yelled._ "YAMI!"_ He felt the pharaoh jerk in alarm in his soul room. Darkly satisfied, Yugi opened his eyes, still keeping the puzzle loosely held in his hands.

The spirit materialized in an instant, and his crimson eyes were alarmed. "Yugi? What in the world?" he scanned the room, but saw no threat, just his partner seated on the floor, the puzzle in his hands, and his eyes hidden. "Why did you call like that?" a hint of irritation had crept into his voice.

The boy did not bother to respond. "We need to talk, Yami. Though, I probably don't want to hear what you have to say." Yugi's voice was cold, and he dragged his finger over the sharp corners of the item in his hands. "I talked to Anzu."

All the irritation Yami had at being called so abruptly, shattered. He suddenly felt very small, though he stood in front of his seated friend. "Aibou…"

"Don't." Yugi's voice was sharp, and the pharaoh was sure something was terribly wrong. "Anzu told me…" his eyes stung, and his grip on the puzzle increased. "You used me, Yami." He did not sound angry; but so very sad.

The spirit had never felt like this before. So many things rushed through his mind, and yet he could not force any of them past his tight throat. "She…told you, then." It was not a question, but a statement of dead acceptance.

"I don't understand why you would do that to me. You were my best friend." Yugi did not look up, but spoke in a whisper to the puzzle.

"Were?" Yami echoed, a sharp pain in his soul. He knew he deserved every word, every scorn, but he had not guessed that it would actually hurt to hear. The pharaoh looked away from Yugi's form. He couldn't stand to see the boy so full of pain, and to know that it was his selfishness that had caused it.

The hikari ignored the question. "You have to know, that what you did hurt me, Yami. I sometimes wonder—" Yugi swallowed hard, and forced his hands to stop shaking. "I wonder if I am your partner, or just your pawn."

Yami stepped back, as if his friend's words were a blow. _Do you truly think that of me?_ He felt only resistance from Yugi's mind, and realized that for the first time…he had been shut out. He had not felt this alone since before the time the puzzle was put together by this gentle soul; who sat so close, yet Yami knew he could never reach him. Not now, and maybe, not ever again. He wanted, with every part of his soul, for Yugi to understand. "I would never have…done such a thing, if it hadn't been important." Why were the words hard to say? He felt like he had already lost.

"Aren't I important?" The boy whispered, rubbing the gold of the item absently, to hide his trembling. "Did you even bother to think of me, before you just used my body?" anger had crept into his tone.

"I…" in truth, _had_ he thought about what Yugi would feel? Or, had he just assumed that the boy would either never find out, or not care if he did. Had he been so blinded by his own fear of the shadows, that he had hurt the only light that dared come close? Yami looked at his hands, transparent and pale in the darkness. "I…don't know how to tell you how this makes me feel. I can't find the words. But, my soul is heavy with guilt. I couldn't stop thinking about what I had done to you, Ai—Yugi." He changed the word quickly. He had no right to call Yugi his partner; he knew that now.

"But you didn't talk to me about it. You sat in the puzzle, made _me_ feel like _I_ had done something wrong. You never once tried to tell me what you had done. If you had just tried to say you were sorry, Yami!" Yugi's words were harsh and bitter. "Maybe it wouldn't be like this. I…can't trust you anymore, and that hurts worst of all, because you, of all people, betrayed me." He still could not look at the spirit.

Yami pressed a hand to his chest, alarmed, as a sudden pain lanced through his consciousness. He looked down at Yugi's bent head, but the boy gave no indication he felt anything other than sorrow. _What was that pain?_ Yami asked, but his words felt strangely detached in his mind.

His crimson eyes widened in shock as he understood. The pain he felt, it had been Yugi's soul door slamming shut. The boy had not just blocked him, but completely and utterly locked him out, forbidding Yami from speaking through their mind link. "Yugi," he said desperately out loud, his chest still aching. "I had to talk to Anzu, please understand. I was hesitant to have you overhear. I was trying to…"

_I was trying to protect you._

"If you didn't want me around," Yugi's voice rose in pitch, and the pharaoh was sure that the boy was crying. "All you had to do was ask." He finally looked up, into the wide crimson eyes of the person who had let him fall. "You know that I would do anything for you, if you asked me."

Yami knew it was true. Yugi had never said it before; but he hadn't needed to. The pharaoh could not look away from the amethyst eyes that burned into his soul. "Will…" he had no right to ask, but he knew he must. "Will you forgive this? What I've done?" it hurt to speak,from thepain of Yugi's recoil.

The teen stood up, his eyes still on the pharaoh, and held the puzzle out, by the long chain, letting it dangle. "No, Yami. I can't do that," He whispered, and let the chain fall from his open hand.

In an eye blink, Yami faded from sight, leaving Yugi standing alone in his room, the puzzle discarded on the floor. The boy let the tears come, hard and fast, his small shoulders wracked with sobs. One tear fell onto the sennen eye of the item below, rolling down. It seemed that even the gods wept that night, at the broken bond of true friendship.

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**Ok that was sad. Leave me your tears in the reviews. **


	7. Ch 7 The Intruder pt 1

**Disclaimer:** see chapter one

**Author Notes:** Some of you thought that chapter 6 was the end! No, no, no, I could never do that to you all. Without getting into some long and detailed story about my wicked evil computer, I will just tell you that it ate this chapter and spat out binary code and I had to start all over again. 0.o; I know, this is only about 500 words, but the next half comes tomorrow, so you will be alright. (If I didn't cry at loosing all my beautiful writing, you aren't allowed to cry either)But here's to 1320 hits and 34 reviews! Thanks people, you rock!

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Yami lay draped over the large, throne-like chair in one of his many soul rooms. The pharaoh had his legs over one of the arm rests of the stone seat, and his shoulders over the other. His left hand dangled lifelessly, while his face was covered by the crook of his other elbow. His head was craned back, showing his frowning mouth in sharp detail in the half lit room. He could not remember how long he had lain like this, but he truly did not care. 

The throne chair was made of crumbling limestone, which left white dustings on his black leather covered shoulders. Yami breathed deeply, and then sighed. No matter how peaceful a room he chose to be in, it was little comfort to his troubled mind. He kept replaying the fight—confrontation?—with Yugi over and over again.

Suddenly, he sat up swiftly, his crimson eyes wide and searching. "Who is there?" he called out warily, the sound echoing in the stone walled room. Silence greeted his query, and the former pharaoh got to his feet. Something here did not feel right…

Quietly, he exited this room, and stepped out into the corridors of his soul. The feeling was stronger here, and he turned his head left and right to try and pinpoint the disturbance. Yami set off at a light run, his boots clicking on the cobblestones below as he ran up and down the twisted staircases. His heart beat faster the closer he got to the feeling, and the more he realized that it was something _dark._ Something that did not belong.

After a time, he skid to a halt in front of one particular soul door. Outwardly, it looked like any number of the hundreds of entrances, but Yami shuddered when his hand touched the handle. He swallowed hard, and pushed it open gently, slipping inside and moving to stand with his back close to the wall. It was dark in the room, and it took his eyes a moment to adjust.

The room was empty, save for one white-haired person who stood languidly, his back turned to Yami. The man was dressed casually in jeans and a blue and white striped t-shirt that hugged his slim frame. Instantly, the pharaoh recognized who this intruder in his soul had to be.

"Bakura!"

The man spun around sharply, his chocolate brown eyes wide in shock. He dropped the small black photo album that he had held loosely in his hands, letting it fall to the ground with a light thump.

"Pharaoh?"

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**Don't hurt me! I have a problem with technology, it dies around me. This time, when the computer died, it took a souvenier. (shakes fist angrily) And just so you know, I will be a good author and tell you when it is the end. You aren't let off that easily. Review again, if you please. I honestly never get sick of it. :)**


	8. Ch 7 The Intruder pt 2

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. (How is that? Ha ha, can't sue me now! P.S…I hijacked this disclaimer. Do I need a disclaimer for my disclaimer? Scary thought.)

**Author Notes:** As promised, here is chapter 7 (pt 2). Nice and long, I might add. Watch out for the plot twist, don't let it trip you up. And, thank you for 40 reviews (!) and 1598 hits. You better watch out or I will get a big ego soon. Anyways, enjoy as always.

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"You!" Yami explained, his voice sharp, and adrenaline making his heart beat fast. "What are you _doing_ here, thief!" 

The intruder pressed a hand to his heart, and then bent to pick up the album, dusting off the cover gently, almost lovingly. The millennium ring around his neck jangled as he did so, its gold glinting in the light. He looked up, his smiling brown eyes finding Yami's. "You scared me. I had no idea…is this your soul room? So sorry to intrude!" he brushed a strand of his white hair off of his forehead, smiling at the spirit.

_The thief…is apologizing to me? And smiling?_ Yami took a step back and looked closer at the person in front of him. His white hair and clothes, they all were reminiscent of Bakura. But this boy held himself differently, and his eyes were softer, more human. His voice had a strange accent, where Bakura's was always harsh and grating. Yami spoke tentatively, taking a step closer. "You…aren't really Bakura, are you?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head and laughed lightly. "Well, I am. But I don't think I am the Bakura you know. Most of my friends, when they see me—" he smiled a bit brokenly, "tend to call me Ryou." He held out a hand, while holding the black album with the other.

The pharaoh glanced around, searching, before taking the youth's hand. He felt the cold ghost of skin on his rough palm, then let go. Ryou smiled warmly at him, and Yami wondered how he had ever mistaken him for his enemy Bakura. He paused for a moment, and then asked, "What are you doing here, Ryou? How did you get here?"

He looked a bit uncomfortable, and tapped the ring around his neck with a finger. "I apologize; I really didn't know this was your room. I have come here quite a few times and it's always been empty." He looked back over his shoulder to the far corner. Yami squinted at it and noticed with a start that what he assumed was a shadow, was actually a black opening.

Embedded in the wall's stones was a small golden spike, stuck deep in the rock. From it, a large crack dispelled down the side of the wall, opening just large enough at the base to admit one small person. Through the opening spilled not light, but darkness that seemed to drip and cascade to pool on the floor. Yami wondered with a shudder what it would feel like to the touch, and unconsciously moved away from the corner. He looked over Ryou, and noticed that one of the hanging points of the millennium ring was missing. "You came through that crack?" his voice held an edge of anger, he did not like the idea of anyone, especially anyone connected to Bakura, breaking into his soul room.

Ryou waved his hands in defense. "Oh, I didn't make the crack if that's what you are thinking!" he smiled disarmingly. "I just found it one day. When Bakura uses my body, it's best to make myself scarce. So I was poking around the chambers in the ring, and found this opening. I never knew it was part of your soul!" he scratched his head. "I guess that all the items are connected then, somehow?"

"It looks more like an intrusion than a connection." Yami kept his eyes on Ryou even though he knew his gaze was making the boy fidget.

"Yes, well…err. Like I said, I never knew this was your room. And I am terribly sorry. I never saw anyone here…" he trailed off helplessly, and looked down. Ryou poked at the floor of the room with the toe of his sneaker, the epitome of guilt.

"I rarely get the chance to visit all the rooms in my soul," Yami said grudgingly. _And the only reason I knew he was here was because I am not connected to Yugi's soul any longer. I was able to sense him._ He was about ready to shove Ryou back through the opening. He was in no mood for intruders—intentional or otherwise.

Ryou tapped a finger to his chin. "I forgot, you as the former pharaoh, have thousands of rooms in you soul." He hummed thoughtfully. "That is interesting how—"

"I have to ask Ryou, how you know who I am, when you have only ever met Yugi, and I have only ever seen Bakura." Yami interrupted coldly. He did not trust this boy to be exactly who he said he was.

Ryou tugged at a corner of his t-shirt. "Well, I know what is in Bakura's mind. Your face is part of his memory, there isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't…well, curse your existence." He shrugged helplessly. "I certainly don't share his ideas, but I know about you quite a bit."

Yami sighed shortly. "I must say I do not much care for the idea of you running about in my soul, Ryou. If you can get through, that means Bakura can too." He waited for a moment, while the boy looked at him quizzically. Yami raised an eyebrow and looked to the opening. "If you wouldn't mind…"

"I hate to correct you," Ryou said quietly, nervously tugging on a bit of his hair, "but you see, even if I wanted to—or Bakura for that matter—I couldn't run about your soul. There's no way out of this room, except back the way I came."

Yami turned to look over his shoulder to the door he came in, and was shocked to find it gone. There was just blank stone on every wall, and no trace of a door. He reached to touch it, but cool brick was all that met his fingers.

"Makes me wonder how you got in," Ryou continued almost to himself, "Then again, it is your soul so you can make the rules as you wish." He looked down at his hands, and seemed surprised to find the album still there. "Oh, do forgive me. This is yours as well. Bakura will most likely be rash when he finds it gone, but there's no dealing with him anyways."

Yami turned back to see Ryou holding the black book out to him with an outstretched hand. "How did you get that?" he gasped, all thoughts of the door forgotten. "I…it was in Yugi's desk, in his house. Did he give it to you?" _Does my partner hate the thought of me so much that he would give my memories to my only enemy?_

"Ah, well, no. Bakura, as you know, has a bit of a grudge against you." A stain of pink washed over Ryou's cheeks. "I apologize for him, though I am sure it doesn't mean much to you. He went into Yugi's house, looking for some way to get his revenge. He would have stolen the puzzle, but he needs to win it in a duel for it to be of any use to him." Ryou looked down at the book. "He thought that taking this would be a blow to you, though I have no idea how. He lost interest with it, and I managed to get a hold of it. I thought that one day, when I could, I would return it to Yugi. I meant no offence in looking at it; I really was going to return it."

Yami felt a spark of anger for the thief and his meddling ways. "Might I ask why you apologize, when you clearly let the thief use your body to steal the book in the first place, Ryou?" His crimson eyes were sharp.

"I would say that 'let' is the wrong word to use." Shadows crossed over his brown eyes, and Yami felt the boy's demeanor change drastically. "It has been quite a long time since I was ever in control of my own body. Bakura has taken over, forced me into the confines of the ring itself."

"He is controlling you? Are you two not partners?" Yami felt a twinge of empathy for this boy, and shame to know that he had done the same thing to his own aibou, even if it was one time. Was he as evil as Bakura was?

Ryou's eyes had a faraway look. "At one time, we were like you and Yugi. But that was long, long ago. Now, revenge has consumed his entire mind, and I think that one day soon, he will be destroyed by it. I can really only hope that he doesn't take me down with him." The boy forced a small smile, though it was shaky.

"Evil." Yami's fist was clenched. _Is that why Yugi left? Did he go so that he would not be consumed by my evil?_ He clenched his eyes shut to stop the sting of impending tears. _How could I? How could I, through my actions, become like Bakura?_

"No."

Yami looked up at Ryou's forceful admission. He was standing tall, his shoulders stiff and his knuckles as white as his hair that covered his eyes.

"Bakura is not evil." He glanced at Yami's expression and smiled wryly. "I know what you are thinking; I have thought the same things too. He's stolen my body, and in turn, he has taken over my life. I have nothing left but the small hope that one day, he will go back to the realm of the spirits and rest in peace. That won't happen until he has completed his revenge." Ryou's words were harsh. "But I can't call him evil. It's not that easy."

Yami was stunned into silence. Was the boy brainwashed by the magic of the puzzle?

"I know his mind. He has never hidden from me, and I think that maybe he wants me to see. I know that what he is doing—trying to steal the puzzle, and all the people he has sent to the shadows that dare get in his way. That is wrong, horribly _wrong._ But I can't call it evil. Because his reasons for all of this, all the pain he inflicts on other people—on me—are not so black and white to be called evil or good. So much wrong has been done to him, and he has had 3000 years to think on it, to let the anger in his soul grow." Ryou's eyes were so sad, and his voice softened until Yami could barely hear him.

"If you knew, pharaoh, all that has been taken from him! He should just let it all go, but I know and he knows, that he would rather die. And that is all he really wants in the end, is his death. An end to all of his suffering, pain, and anger. It's not right to call him evil. I wish I could, I wish it was that simple to hate him." Ryou sounded so weary, and his brown eyes were dim.

The pharaoh sighed. He felt bad for this boy who thought Bakura's actions could be anything but evil. True, he did not know the thief's mind, and was glad not to. Yami still believed what his heart told him, that Bakura was trying to collect all the millennium items to use for his own dark purposes. "I am sorry for you, Ryou. I wish there was something I could do for you."

The boy smiled tightly, and handed the book back to Yami. "I will be alright. Here are your…memories back. There are some nice ones of you and Yugi in there. Be sure not to loose them."

"You can see me in them?" Yami whispered, not taking the book from Ryou. "And Yugi too?" his heart seemed to be in his throat.

"Yes," Ryou looked a bit confused. "Why, do you not see? I thought it was plain as day." He flipped the book open, and showed Yami one picture of just him and Yugi. Yugi was lying in the grass, looking at the camera and smiling, and the pharaoh sat by his side in the sunlight. "I wish I had a good picture of Bakura and me. I was so surprised the first time I ever saw us. But then I remembered the old wives' tale that pictures steal your soul. Not true, I might add, but cameras do see on a different spectrum than out eyes do. I am sure only people who have double souls like we do could see. Though, if you showed this picture to Seto Kaiba, I would be interested to see what he says." He flipped the book shut, and waved it at Yami. "Here."

The pharaoh had felt his heart clench at seeing his partner's smile, even if it was on the flat page. "No, Ryou, you keep it. I don't want it in Bakura's hands, but nor do I want it in mine. I don't deserve it. Please, take it away." He turned his eyes to focus on the wall, struggling to keep his emotions straight.

"I see. Something…wrong, between you and Yugi?" Ryou asked awkwardly. "I don't mean to pry, but you seem worried. Is there something I could do? I might not be much help, but you can talk to me if—"

"It's over. There's really nothing you could do, nothing anyone could do." Yami wished he didn't sound so bitter.

"I am—was—Yugi's friend, even if it was a long time ago. I think I could talk to him," Ryou persisted. "I'm sorry, I just saw you both so happy in the pictures, and it would be a shame to loose all that. Looking at the book made me wish that I could call Bakura my friend like Yugi calls you his." Something edged into Ryou's eyes, and he took a step closer to Yami. "If you could help me, if you would be willing to work together, then I am sure that I could talk to Yugi."

"What do you have in mind?" Yami asked warily, his heart suspicious.

Ryou outlined his plan. It was a risk, and it would be dangerous, to both parties. If one little thing went wrong, if Bakura just happened to…

"Alright."

_If it will get Yugi back, then I don't care about the risk. Nothing matters but this._

Yami took Ryou's offered hand, and shook it to seal their agreement. Even as he looked into the boys smiling face, his heart felt heavy. The pharaoh wondered if he had walked into a trap, as the black ooze collected in a puddle at Ryou's feet.

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**Ok, just another quick author note. Please don't ask me, "How did something solid like the album get into a soul room?" because I will just ask you back, "When Anzu, Jou and Honda went into the Pharaoh's soul room how did they keep their clothes?" So there. Stumped us both. I try to adhear to the anime in any way I can, but sometimes I don't have all the answers. Gasp. I know, what a horrid thought. Any other questions, feel free to leave them in the reviews. **


	9. Ch 8 The Call dedicated to Pace

**Disclaimer:** you know where to look

**Author Note: **hey there all. I can't believe this little story has generated almost 3,000 hits and 50 reviews. It really makes me glad. I would like to throw out a special thank you to Pace, who helped me out of this little funk I was having. This chapter is for her. Thank you to all the others who reviewed every chapter, or even just popped in to leave a few words. So, anyways, here is chapter 8…even though it will attempt to tell you otherwise. Bah, technology.

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Yugi lay prone on his bed, his amethyst eyes half lidded as he squinted at the late morning's sun that shone through his window. The young boy groaned and rolled over, throwing a hand over his face to shield his eyes. His hair was a mess and his eyes were puffy as if he had been crying. 

Half-heartedly, he threw the blankets off of his form, but made no further effort to move from his bed. Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, Yugi sighed. It was 9:49; well past the hour that school started. When his grandpa had knocked on his door, telling him to hurry, or he would be late, Yugi had just stared at the ceiling. Eventually, he heard the retreating footsteps. The teen had no intention of going to school today, not after what had happened. If he saw Anzu, he thought he might…

A shrill ring made Yugi start in fright, and pull the hand off of his face. It was his telephone, and it made another insistent ring before he reached and knocked the receiver off the base with a hand.

Muttering darkly at the fact he had to move, Yugi grabbed for the dangling phone, and put it to his ear. "Hello?" he asked warily. He hoped it wasn't the school secretary. "Hello?"

"Yugi. It is me." The voice was crisp and direct, and the boy didn't recognize it at all.

"Who's this?"

"Bakura."

Yugi sat up in bed, his eyes now confused as he held the receiver close to his mouth. "Bakura?" he echoed.

"Ah," Yugi heard a throat being cleared over the line, and then the familiar British accent saying, "I mean, it's Ryou."

Sitting back against his wall, the boy threaded fingers through his tangled hair, attempting to smooth the mess. "Oh, hello, Ryou. Wow, it's been so long I didn't recognize your voice."

"Yes, I have been around—err, busy. Yes, busy." Ryou sounded nervous, and he kept clearing his throat as if his voice was rusty. Yugi heard a thud and a faint curse over the end of the phone.

"So…" Yugi let his eyes wander around his room, as he talked a bit quietly. There was no need for his grandpa to overhear. "Why are you calling, Ryou?"

A sharp laugh. "Aren't I allowed to call an old friend?"

"Yes, of course you are." Yugi swallowed hard as his eyes caught and held on the discarded millennium puzzle that lay on his floor. The silence over the phone seemed to echo over and over, until Yugi tore his eyes from the puzzle. "Could you hold on for a moment?" he didn't wait to hear his friend's reply before throwing the phone on his bed and jumping up.

The boy didn't want to touch the item, but nor did he want to look at it sitting there. He considered kicking it under the bed, but for some reason, his conscious wouldn't let him do it—or perhaps it was the fact that he wasn't wearing socks and would therefore have to come in contact with the puzzle if he kicked it. Hurriedly, Yugi pulled the blanket off the end of his bed and threw it over the golden object, sending the phone flying when he did so. He jumped and caught it, and then sat on his bed, pressing it to his ear. "OK, sorry about that."

"Yes, yes." Ryou sounded impatient, and Yugi could hear him switching the phone from ear to ear repeatedly.

"So…" Yugi rubbed the back of his head. When did talking to a friend become so awkward?

"Come over to my house."

"What?"

Ryou's tone changed to one of good nature. "Would you come over? To have a chat with me about…all the times we need to catch up on?"

Truth be told, Yugi did not want to go anywhere today, and by the way Ryou was talking, he didn't much care for the idea of "chatting" either. He sighed quietly, and looked at the clock once more. "It's a bit early for visits, wouldn't you say?" Yugi realized today was a Monday. "Hey, why aren't you in school right now, Ryou?"

"Why aren't you?" the British boy shot back almost immediately, but with no scorn in his words. He laughed then, as if it was an afterthought, yet it sounded forced.

"I…" Yugi came to an idea that would save him. "Actually, I called in sick today. So I shouldn't be outside much—"

"Sick? All the better a reason to come and see me. They say misery loves company!"

"Oh, they do say that, don't they?" Yugi muttered under his breath, tapping his forehead with a finger. Ryou was being so persistent! "But, I don't remember where you live—"

"That's ok; I will come and pick you up." Ryou's cheer seemed to almost ooze out of the phone, and Yugi laughed awkwardly. "I'll be there in ten minutes. See you then!"

Click.

Yugi was left holding the receiver, looking at it in horror. "Ten minutes?" he squeaked in disbelief as he looked at himself in the small mirror on his wall. "I can't do my hair in ten minutes! And get ready!"

He was up in a blur of movement, throwing clothes around and grabbing his pants, and tossing a shirt onto his dresser. Yugi hopped on one foot as he tried to get his leather pants on, and as he did so, he stumbled. He put out his other foot to stop from falling, and it happened to come down on the hidden puzzle that lay under his blanket. The offending object stuck its blunt side into the tender part of the bottom of his foot, causing Yugi to yelp in pain.

Darkly, the boy hopped over to his shirt and grabbed the hairbrush, keeping off his smarting foot. He collected the items into his arms, and glared at the still hidden item. Yugi then turned sharply and half stomped, half limped over to the bathroom to finish getting ready there, making sure that he slammed his bedroom door shut as he left.

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**I hate my computer! I wrote a huge thank you to everyone out there, and then I moved my finger weird on the touchpad and it sent me back and erased it all! Damn laptops...Just wanted to say thanks to Dogdate for always reading, and I swear one of these days I will write you the kinkiest Seto Kaiba story I can come up with. And also to darkyami7, Almadine-Azaleea, Myou tenshi, Oroko, Linzy and Anora. Thanks for the support guys!**


	10. Ch 9 The Deception

**Disclaimer:** Like anyone reads this anyways…tsk, tsk.

**Author Note:** Sorry for the long delay for the update. School happens to kick me every once and awhile, and I had this essay I had to do. (Boo, hiss) And so here it is, and I must warn you the end is slowly approaching. Gasp! So onward and outward we go. Three cheers for 60 reviews and 3368 hits. I am so impressed with all of the love I am getting. Thank you!

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The white haired boy cocked his head to the side and examined the side door to the Kame Game Shop. The actual business did not open until the late afternoon, and Ryou was unsure how he was supposed to tell Yugi that he had arrived. He saw a small red button on the side of the doorway, and tentatively pressed it. A sharp and incredibly loud buzzing noise made his heart almost stop, as he jumped a foot in the air. 

He waited patiently, reluctant to try the demon buzzer again, until the door opened wide, revealing a panting Yugi. The amethyst eyed teen managed a smile. "Hi there Ryou, it really has been forever. Nice to see you."

Ryou covered a smile. Yugi's shirt was inside out, and his boot laces were dragging on the floor. Even more amusing was the fact that a long spike of his gravity defying hair leaned a bit to the left. "Nice to see you too, Yugi." The brown eyes crinkled in amusement. "Sorry, did I rush you?"

The shorter boy shook his head, and felt his hair slipping out of place. He yelped and apology, and dashed back inside to the bathroom. Ryou heard his stumbling steps up the stairs, and allowed himself a chuckle. He cautiously stepped inside, and pulled the door shut. He waited for his brown eyes to shed their blindness and adjust to the unnatural inside lighting.

Yugi's house, situated above and behind the Game shop, was quite well kept. Ryou was standing in the entranceway that led to the stairs. He looked down at his sneakers, and then jumped back. He had been standing on an old and decrepit rug, that had a vividly Egyptian pattern laced though it. Yugi's rushed decent from the stairs caused Ryou to look up at his friend.

The teen smiled from his position on the last stair from the bottom. His hair had been tamed, his boots laced and his shirt righted. Yugi smiled at the rug. "My grandpa brought it back in some of his travels. Don't worry about standing on it; it has always been the welcome mat."

"Something so nice shouldn't just be used to wipe your feet on," Ryou commented lightly, then smiled. "You ready to get going, Yugi?" he teetered a bit from determinedly keeping his shoes off of the rug and on the small strip of hardwood to the side instead.

Yugi lightly jumped down the last stair, and jerked his head to the side. "Why don't we just stay here and talk? My grandpa is out, and when he does get back I am sure he wont bother us anyways."

"But…but…" Ryou stuttered. "What about what I wanted to show you?"

"Oh, right." Yugi shrugged, and moved to the door. "Lead the way." He pulled the door open, revealing the bright sunshine, and the light breeze of early summer. "What is it you want to show me anyways, Ryou?" he followed his friend, and then turned to shut and lock the door behind him.

Yugi turned back, and looked around. "Ryou?" he called, confused. "He was here a second ago…" he shielded his eyes with a hand and peered around the tree lined street. "Ryou?"

The white haired teen popped into view, causing Yugi to have a minor heart-attack. Ryou had his hands cupped in front of him, and resting in his palm was a small deep purple flower, and a smile covering his face. "Look," he exclaimed, all but shoving the flower in the smaller boy's face. "Spring flowers!"

Pressing a hand to his chest, Yugi smiled shakily back. "Yeah, I have seen a lot of them just bloom." He laughed at the pure amusement on Ryou's face. "You seem pretty upbeat for so early in the morning." He watched as the chocolate eyed youth let the wind pluck the flower from his hands and toss it around in the air.

"It's such a wonderful day outside!" Ryou leaned his head back to catch the sun on his pale skin. "It has been so long since…" he stopped abruptly and tugged on the hem of his sweater, a nervous smile on his face. "Sorry, Yugi. I guess we should get going."

Yugi dug his hands deep into his pockets and snuck glances at Ryou as they walked. The white haired boy seemed so different from the last time. He held himself differently, his back straight and his chin up. He looked happier, but there was still a deep sadness that he tried to hide behind his clear eyes. Yugi shook his head lightly, and followed his guide as they turned down the surprisingly busy morning streets.

"My apartment isn't that far from here," Ryou said, smiling down at Yugi. "It's kind of silly of us not to visit when we live so near, isn't it?" they both turned left onto a small back street that was lined with shops. "I guess it was because I—switched schools. How is the gang doing, anyways?"

Yugi was surprised to find how easy it was to fall into conversation with Ryou. He chatted about Jou and Kaiba's almost daily battles, and how everyone was still thoroughly amused by the puppy jokes.

Before long, Ryou stopped at a set of stairs that led up to a tall grey building. Yugi remembered it now; Ryou lived on the third floor. Unlike Jou, who lived in an apartment complex, the white haired teen lived in a townhouse apartment, where his door access was on the outside, so there was no need for buzzers or elevators. They trotted up the two flights of stairs, and Ryou pulled out his keys and stopped at a plain grey door numbered 310. He unlocked and opened it and motioned for Yugi to go first. The shorter boy smiled and stepped inside.

He looked around, surprised by how different the apartment was from the last time he had visited. It was immaculately kept, and smelled of cleaning products. There weren't any pictures or wall hangings; it looked as if he had just moved in, instead of living here for almost a year. The kitchen was directly to the left, and although it was a bright white, the lighting made the room seem dim. Yugi bent and untied his boots, placing them neatly on the side and out of the way of the door. Ryou did the same with his sneakers, revealing that he wore two miss-matched socks of navy and grey.

Noticing that Yugi was looking at his socks, Ryou smiled, and rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I guess I was a bit rushed this morning too." He motioned to the apartment. "You've been here before, but do you want a tour?"

The amethyst eyed teen blushed at being caught staring, and nodded. "Sure, that would be great. I barely remember the place." He followed behind Ryou, who lead him down a tiny hallway.

"Well you saw the kitchen on your way in. And here," he said, pausing in a rather empty room, "Is the parlor. There's not much here, sorry to say. I don't entertain much and when you live by yourself there isn't really a reason to decorate."

The room had a couch and a low dining table that had deep scratches gouged out of the wood. The carpet was a boring light grey, which matched the pale off white walls and the grey linen curtains that blocked out the daylight that tried to get through the large ceiling to floor window. Ryou held his arm out, and Yugi followed him to the next room.

As they walked down the hallway, Yugi let his eyes slide over the white walls. There was a patch on the wall of the hallway that smelled of new paint, and when Yugi discretely brushed his fingertips over it, they came back sticky with half dried paint. Ryou turned back over his shoulder, and Yugi hurriedly hid his fingers in his pocket. "This is my room," Ryou said, coming to a stop at an open door, and letting his hand rest on the doorknob, but not going inside.

Yugi thought it looked like the rest of the apartment, though it seemed as if the walls in Ryou's room were covered with holes. He was too far away to tell, but the holes looked not round, but long and thin, as if something had been forced through the plaster. The only color in the room was a series of small faded copper stains on the carpet. There were no pictures, or posters in the room, and it was dimly lit by one fluorescent light on the ceiling. It smelled lightly of bleach, with an underlying scent Yugi could not name. Something sickly sweet, or maybe like the acrid smell of old iron? Before he could think further on it, Ryou pulled the door almost shut, and turned.

"Now this is the bathroom…" he turned to look over his shoulder at Yugi, a smile on his lips that did not quite reach his eyes. "I guess it's redundant to say it's small too; everything here is." He pointed to the all white washroom, his face reflected in the medicine cabinet mirror. He turned back to Yugi, and shrugged. "That's about it."

Yugi tried to silence the feeling he had lurking in his mind—the feeling that everything was not as it seemed in this place—and smiled winningly back at his friend. "It's a really nice place, Ryou. It's perfect for one person. And you kept it really clean."

"Thank you!" Ryou shooed Yugi with a hand back in the direction of the parlor. "Now, let's have some tea and relax! There's so much to talk about!" Yugi let himself be guided to the couch, and sat down gingerly on the uncomfortable cushions.

Ryou paused, and put a hand to his ear. "Was that the phone?" he asked absently.

"I didn't hear anything—"

"Oops, there it is again!" Ryou waved a hand, and dashed down the hall, leaving Yugi to wait awkwardly in the much too empty room. The boy tapped his fingers on his legs, and sighed deeply. It was only then that he realized that this room too had the same underlying smell as Ryou's bedroom had. Yugi sniffed delicately, turning his head this way and that, trying to find out where it came from. He looked down the hallway, but saw no indication of Ryou. The boy stood from the couch and wandered the room, trying to find the source of the smell.

It got stronger in spots, and Yugi was sure that he would recognize it, but then it would fade and be replaced by the sharp smell of cleaners. A hand came down on his shoulder suddenly, and he yelped in alarm, spinning around. Ryou was standing there, looking a bit put out. Yugi laughed nervously. "You scared me, Ryou!"

"Sorry," Ryou reached to push a strand of his white hair out of his eyes. "Bad news, Yugi. I really have to take this call, it's from my family overseas. I really will try and keep it short. Would you mind waiting for a bit?" he bit his lip anxiously.

"Oh! Sure, Ryou, I can wait." Yugi looked around the room, but to his chagrin, did not see a TV, or a bookshelf. He was wracking his mind for a way to occupy himself, and then an idea came. "I can make us tea, if that's alright."

Ryou clapped his hands together. "Perfect. I shan't be more than a quarter of an hour, I'm sure." He turned and trotted down the hallway again. "Feel free to poke around. Tea's on the top shelf in the kitchen!" he called back, and then Yugi heard a door click shut.

The boy shrugged, and turned back to the parlor. He moved towards the window, and he inhaled deeply, he was certain the smell was coming from here. Yugi looked back; to make sure that Ryou wasn't coming. But when he heard a floorboard creak, he scurried over to the kitchen to busy himself with the tea. Yugi determinedly did not think of what was concealed behind those plain grey curtains, as he reached for the top shelf.

Meanwhile, Ryou was brushing himself off on the street below. He rubbed his elbow, and looked up at the open window of his bedroom he had just escaped out of. He had climbed partially down the side of the building, but had had to jump the last few feet. He pressed the timer button on his watch, and readjusted the backpack on his shoulders. Ryou sprinted away, his miss-matched socks pounding the pavement as he ran to the direction of Yugi's now empty house.

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**Ha ha, more drama. Sorry if this chapter was a little boring, I just had to do a bit of set up and description. Anyways, review please! Any exclaimations, questions, thoughts, or ideas are greatly apriciated. Thanks guys!**


	11. Ch 10 The Agreement

**Disclaimer:** Same as always, kiddies. I don't own YGO though, I am accepting gifts.

**Author's Note:** I am such a lame noob sometimes. I had free time, but I totally squandered most of it not writing. Ok, I squandered all of it. But as consolation, I am putting off making my gourmet residence meal of EasyMac until I get this finished. Thank you to all 69 reviews (snicker) I have such a dirty mind... and almost 5,000 hits! You guys are the best. I would throw you a party but I am poor. Love you anyways! Oh, P.S, flashback alert, though I am sure that you could have figured it out.

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Ryou took a deep breath, and decided that it was time. Bakura was using his body, and the tomb-robber was laying about the house, not doing much of anything as he draped his lithe form over the back of the couch like a feline. Bakura, most importantly, was wearing the ring, which meant that Ryou could make himself appear in spirit form to the outside world. _

_Disregarding the faint shudder that clawed along his mind when he stepped out of the ring, Ryou made sure he stood right in front of the lounging white haired body that should have been his own. Ryou also kept his brown eyes ahead, for when he looked down at his transparent form, he felt ill. "Bakura." He said, surprised at how calm it came out. _

_The thief jumped and cursed viciously in Egyptian, rolling off the couch back, and onto the cushions. Ryou could already see the glint of a knife in the boy's pale hand, as the white haired Egyptian looked around for the intrusion. When his deep brown eyes found Ryou, he sneered, but still relaxed visibly. "What the hell do you want?" he tucked the knife away with a smooth twitch of the hand._

"_I need to talk to you."_

_Bakura scoffed and put his hands behind his head to lean back, the picture of indifference. "Shut up and go back in the ring."_

_Ryou knew he had the thief now. He had been watching, and the host had learned. Ryou knew that once he projected his spirit form he was out, even if Bakura threw off the ring. But if perhaps Bakura did not wear the item, or pulled it off before Ryou could come out, then the host was stuck, trapped in the confines of the ring. Ryou replayed over and over in his head what he and the Pharaoh had spoken about. "I have…a proposition for you."_

_Bakura tried to mask it, but he was interested. He popped one eye open and regarded the see-through body of Ryou. "What could you possibly offer that would interest me? I have your body completely under control and through you, I can get close to the baka-pharaoh." The thief leaned back on the couch again and turned his head away. "So go wash the ring with your tears or something."_

_Biting his lip, Ryou tried not to look worried. Everything hinged on Bakura's co-operation. Ryou needed the pharaoh's help, and the only way to get that, was to help Yugi; and to accomplish all this, he needed Bakura out of the way. "There is something I can do for you Bakura, something that I know you want." He tried not to shiver, but his voice came out tremulous. _

_The tomb-robber absently flicked the ring, just to hear the jangle of the gold spikes in the cool night air. "Mm." he purred, neither agreeing, nor disagreeing in the least. He could not give his host that satisfaction to know he had him interested. Very interested. _

"_And in return, all I need you to do is give my body back to me for 12 hours." Ryou took a step forward, desperate._

_Bakura got up abruptly. "Not a chance," he barked and turned to stalk down the hallway. Violently as he passed, he slammed the knife into the wall, embedding it up to the hilt in the plaster. Ryou heard the bedroom door slam shut and he walked calmly to follow. Normally he would never aggravate the thief further, but this time he wasn't getting away. The boy ghosted through the closed door, and into his own moonlit bedroom._

_He was greeted by the ring being hurled at him, thought it passed through to clunk against the wall. Bakura hadn't thrown it hard—he would never damage something so hard won by throwing it at the likes of his host. "I told you no," he hissed through his teeth, as he stood in the center of the room. _

_Undeterred, Ryou walked to stand an inch away from the thief's face. It was true, since Bakura had taken off the ring, Ryou could only go so far from the item, but for now, the Egyptian with the stolen body was trapped. "It is twelve hours, Bakura. You spent millennia in the ring before this, so—" _

"_And I won't go back," the thief looked as if he wished he could knock Ryou across the face, but simply clenched his firsts instead. "You are forgetting, stupid Yadonushi, that I currently own you, and this body of yours, until I make the baka-pharaoh pay." Pure hatred dripped from his tone and his brown eyes were cold in the moonlight. _

"_You are forgetting, _Bakura_," Ryou said back, emphasis on the name, "That you are living my life." He threw an arm out to encompass the room they were both in. "My room, my apartment, my body." _

_In response, Bakura went to the bed and flopped onto it, stretching his legs out over the rumpled blankets, and said nothing. To all appearances he went to sleep._

_Irritably, Ryou walked over and wished he could poke the thief in the ribs, but instead simply loomed over his stolen body. "I am still here, and I am not letting you go to sleep and ignore me." Bakura's cheek twitched, but he did not open his eyes. Ryou kept talking. "You can't even make me be quiet, unless you come into the ring, and since you hate it in there, you won't." another twitch, this time the corner of his temple. "I can stand here forever and talk; spirits don't get tired at all. I can say whatever I want, and you can't stop me!" Bakura rolled over and faced his head to the wall, and discreetly gave his host the finger._

"_I'll sing it, Bakura. You know I will." Ryou allowed himself a grin as a visible shiver went up the thief's spine. "And no one will hear it but you."_

_Bakura growled and thrust the pillow over his head. "I don't care what you do, you pathetic Yadonushi, the only thing I want is for you to shut up!" even muffled by the pillow, Ryou was sure the neighbors had heard the yell. _

_Ryou knew the tomb-robber was on his last legs. He took strength from the knowledge that it would all be over soon. But if this didn't work, Bakura would rip his soul to shreds in the ring, and he would never see outside again—Ryou bit off the panicky thoughts and started singing, slowly at first in his wavering off key voice. "This is the song that never ends,"_

_Bakura groaned and smashed the pillow harder over his ears. Ryou moved closer and sang louder, "Yes it goes on and on my friends, s-o-o-me people sta-a-arted singing it, not knowing what it was, and they'll continue singing it forever just because—" Ryou took a breath and yelled, "This is the song that never ends—"_

"_SHUP UP!" Bakura roared back, almost drowning out Ryou's sing song, "I loathe that infernal song!"_

"—_yes, it goes on and on my friends! Some people sta-a-a-rted singing it—"_

_Jumping to his feet, Bakura hurled the pillow through Ryou's form. The host just kept singing the same lines over and over again like he used to do to pass time in the ring, drawing out all the vowels. The thief grabbed for anything to hurl at the boy in his rage, as pictures and coat-hangers dented the walls. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" He blew through the door and out into the hallway, as Ryou skipped viciously along side him in the air._

"—_Forever just because! This is the song—"Ryou had leaned close despite the thief's erratic movements, and bellowed in his ear, "THAT NEVER ENDS, yes it—"_

_Bakura was intent on getting out, getting away, killing the boy, crushing him into…_

"_Going to run from me, tomb-robber? Run from a silly song?" Ryou said calmly as Bakura hissed and lunged for the door's handle. Ryou blocked the way, and how the thief hated the clammy feeling of his arm passing through the spirit, so he paused just long enough for the host to say quickly, "I'll help you."_

"_You could help me by disappearing!" Bakura's rage hadn't died and his fingers brushed through Ryou's chest when he tried to escape. The Egyptian yanked his hand back as if he had been burned. "Get the hell out of my way!"_

"_You are here to destroy the pharaoh." It wasn't a question, and it briefly gave the thief another target for his anger, as Ryou spoke. "And likewise, he is here to destroy you. Together you just cancel each other out, no one winning no one losing. But he has his partner Yugi to help him—" _or he will soon, if I have anything to say about it,_ Ryou thought. "And you have no one. It's two against one as it stands."_

_Bakura almost stumbled at his host's words. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, though his hand began to fall away from the doorknob. "You are saying that you—_you_—would help me destroy the baka-pharaoh? I don't believe you."_

_Ryou was aware that his heart was in his throat. "All you have to do is let me have my body back for 12 hours. I need to say my goodbyes, do things you never allowed me to do before. Then, I'll give up." He felt himself tremble, despite being a mere shadow. "I won't help you, but I won't fight you."_

"_And after the 12 hours, as if you would give the body back to me! I don't trust you to—" _

"_I don't trust you either, but there's no choice. From now on, you either agree or I attempt to make your life a living hell." Something gleamed in Ryou's dark eyes. "And it won't be little child's songs, either."_

"_I can deal with you," Bakura grinned. "I have dealt with you before, I always win." But he couldn't deny that there was perhaps something different about his host, something harder in his eyes. _

"_Now that I am out, I can stay this way forever. You could go into the ring and shut in me in my soul room, or cast me to the shadows. But that leaves my body empty. Even if I just get control of an arm, I can ruin everything. Insane asylums, mental hospitals, cages… I can make you look crazy, Bakura, just with the twitch of a hand." He was banking on the thief's fear of this time that was not his own ancient Egypt, and it looked like it worked. "You can't destroy the ring, without yourself as well. And if you try and leave it behind to get rid of me, you can't access its shadow powers, and therefore you can't defeat the pharaoh."_

_The tomb-robber barked out a laugh. "You think you thought of everything, do you?"_

"_I have thought of everything. So many days spent in the ring, so much time to plan this all, Bakura."_ And now that it isn't just my little dream, _Ryou thought, clenching a fist._ I can hit two birds with one stone. I help Yami and Yugi, and they can help me. My freedom was gone anyways, so it is no hard price to pay. Bakura doesn't know that I can only exist as a spirit outside the ring for maybe 30 minutes. Already it is tugging on me…He better agree soon…And by doing this, I get to say goodbye to them, to the world._ Ryou hardened his expression. "Do we have a deal?" if Bakura had looked carefully, he would have seen his host flicker in spirit just a little. _

_The thief thought, his ancient mind calculating every possible outcome. He opened his mouth, and then shut it. He spun on his heel, stalking to the kitchen and throwing open the cupboards with a bang. "When?" he spat over his shoulder, not looking at the infernal boy who he relied on._

"_Right now." Ryou glanced at the clock, it read 11:22 PM in cool mint green fluorescent. "Until 11:22 AM tomorrow."_

_Bakura crushed a box in his hand. "Now?" he hissed, annoyed to find his palms sweaty with what might be called fear. _

"_Just go in the ring. You'll know when time is up, and come out to take over again." Ryou knew he had to get the thief to agree before he changed his mind. "And after that, you have a compliant host." He couldn't help but add a bitter sting to the words. _

_His eyes uncertain, Bakura walked to the bedroom, his feet padding the carpet quietly. He hesitated, then went in and picked up the ring. He locked eyes with the ghostly youth. "If you try and trick me boy," and his voice was so maniacal that Ryou shuddered. "Nothing can save you. I'll tear you to shreds until you beg to be cast to the shadows."_

"_I know."_

_Bakura shifted on his feet, and closed his eyes. He felt the press of gold on his calloused palms, and he searched until he found the bond between himself and Ryou. He breathed deeply and pried his shadow magic off of Ryou's soul door, leaving it open for him to exit. Bakura then stalked over to his own dusty soul room, opening the door with his touch, and immersing himself in the glow of thousands of riches and the dark wisps of shadows. Behind him, he slammed the door shut, intending to sulk alone. _

_Ryou exited his room, and rushed down the hallway that led to his body. He couldn't help but grin, even with the sharp stab of knowledge that this would be the last time. He was blinded momentarily, but when he blinked and opened his eyes, he was _free_. He promptly stumbled, not used to his own feet, and sat down, his back to the wall. Even in the darkness when the moon was hidden behind thick cloud, Ryou laughed in his rough voice, not stopping for a long, long time. _

_He felt his body, running his hands over his face, and arms just to feel smooth skin rather than cool air. He got up, and his legs wobbled a bit as his mind remembered how to use this thing called a body. The first thing he did was to pick up the ring, and shove it into his long ignored backpack. Still smiling—oh, how good it felt—he got to work. He had so many things to do, so much he wanted to do! But business comes first…and he had to hurry._

**

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So wee, that was exciting. More insight into Ryou and his motives… Hope it all made sense and you enjoyed it. Review please! Or my German power hungry friend will take over your world. Hahahaha, beware the zeppelins! And for some clarification: baka means "stupid" or "idiot". And Yadonushi means "king's property" or "host". (At least that is what I am pretty sure it means. My source wasn't so great…if you know any other translations, feel free to tell them to me.) **


	12. Ch 11 The Realization

**Disclaimer:** Same as always, my friends

**Author's Note:** Oh all that is holy, I get to go home! So for all you that care (and by thunder there is getting to be quite a few of you) I am going on hiatus for my reading week. It's only a week, but I get to go back home to the other side of the country and visit with my family. Sorry, but no updates, and this stupidly short chapter that I write while I wait for my plane. (Did I mention I hate flying?)

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Yugi sighed and rubbed his hand over the side of the coffee mug he was holding lightly. His tea had long ago gone cold, and he sat impatiently as he waited for Ryou to finish his phone call. The young boy looked absently towards the window, and a shudder ran up his spine as his gaze swept over the grey curtains. Quickly, he turned away, swirling the Sencha Sakura tea in his mug to try and keep his interest on not splashing it up over the rim. 

For Ryou, it was sheer luck that Yugi did not pull open the curtains and look on the street below. For there, the white haired boy panted, trying to get his breath back in his lungs as he was hunched over, his hands on his knees. Ryou grinned down at his miss-matched socks despite the fact that the timer on his watch was running already past the fifteen minute mark. He drew himself up and stretched gingerly, the cramp in his side aching as he did so. His chocolate brown eyes were amused as he mentally noted that everything in the plan was set. It would all come together soon.

Although his backpack was now lighter, it still pulled on his shoulders that were damp with sweat. _Shouldn't have worn a sweatshirt,_ Ryou mused to himself. _Would Yugi notice if I changed clothes?_ He shrugged and looked up at the open window he had come down through. It was up on the second floor, about 20 or 30 feet above his head. The stucco wall was bare except for the tiny windows. Ryou suddenly turned a sick shade of white, and thought for sure that he would pass out on the concrete. There was one aspect of his plan that he had not thought out quite perfectly. If he couldn't use the door, and the window was…

Then how in Ra's name was he going to get back in?

**

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Ha! That amused me. Well, I would ask you to review, but it is so short and I feel so guilty that I hope you don't and it serves me right. (I suppose you could just leave a short review…) **


	13. Ch 12 The Plan

**Disclaimer:** this story is brought to you by the suffix –ING. I am writING this without profitING in anyway, and hopING that there will be no sueING in response. Thank you.

**Author Note:** I beg your forgiveness. I said I was going to be a week and I was way longer than that. I won't bore you with the details of it. To Sphinx: yes, I did get your review, and thanks for reading, I hope you get an account on fan fiction soon. Ok guys, on with the show, right? Enjoy, and as always, review if you please. Is it so selfish that I want to break 90 reviews?…You all are awesome!

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Ryou muttered darkly as he rubbed his sore fingers. He had had to attempt some very interesting acrobatics to get back into his bedroom window. Including, but not limited to: jumping from the balcony to hook his fingers onto the open window sill and pulling himself up, legs scrambling against the stucco as he did so, the fear of falling giving his weak arms the strength they needed. Ryou shook his fingers to restore the feeling in them—wincing as he found out that the feeling was _pain_—and quickly went over to his closet to pick new clothes. 

He dressed as fast as he could, minding his bruised elbow and scraped knee; which were also gifts from the attempt to crawl into a second floor window. Ryou looked nervously to his wristwatch and wiped sweat off his brow as he realized he was running almost fifteen minutes behind his time limit. "I hope Yugi didn't leave," he whispered, tugging his new white t-shirt to sit properly on his shoulders. He wore the same jeans, but had also changed his very dirty miss-matched socks.

Knowing this was the unsure part of his plan; Ryou reached into his backpack and pulled out the millennium ring, being careful to hold it by the string rather than the actual metal. He needed to have it with him in the next part of his plan, but if Bakura was being observant, he could use this time to appear in spirit form. Very tentatively, Ryou reached into the ring with the barest part of his mind, and was relieved to find that the thief was still sulking in his proverbial corner. Quickly, Ryou slipped the ring over his head, and tucked it under his shirt so that Yugi would not notice it.

The white haired teen cast his eyes around the room one last time, his mind calculating to see if he had forgotten any critical part of the plan. _Too late now, anyways,_ he thought, and strode to the door, making sure he opened it noisily to alert his houseguest. Ryou walked down the hall and was pleased to see that Yugi sat at the kitchen table, though the younger boy sported a rather ill-tempered look.

"So sorry that it took so long, Yugi!" Ryou said, picking up the other mug on the table and sipping at it. He made a face when he found it to be cold, but smiled at his friend in appreciation anyways. "Thanks for the tea. This is my favorite kind, as well."

Yugi shed his boredom and smiled back at Ryou. "Don't worry about it, I was fine waiting." He let his hands slip from the cold mug of tea, and waited for a moment before saying, "Didn't you want to show me something now?"

"Well, I'm not sure," Ryou said, pressing a finger to his chin as he thought. "You said you were sick, and I have kept you so long that maybe I should just let you go home to sleep."

Yugi laughed nervously as he remembered that he had said he was sick today. He waved his hand, dismissing Ryou's comment. "No, no, I feel much better already. They say that a nice hot cup of tea can cure any cold!" he shifted in his seat as Ryou leaned forward to examine Yugi closely.

"You don't seem well," the white haired boy said, not unkindly. "And I don't mean from your cold. You don't seem your usual happy self today, Yugi." Ryou pulled the other chair out and plopped himself gratefully into it; relaxing his tired muscles. He looked at his friend deeply with his chocolate brown eyes. "Is everything alright?"

A bit thrown by the question, Yugi allowed his fake smile to slip for a second and let his real feelings come out. Hurriedly, he opened his mouth to reassure Ryou that he was great and he was doing well in school, and Jou and him were going to the arcade soon…but at the knowing look on Ryou's face, Yugi could only sigh. "Well, I've been better, if you want the truth."

This wasn't in the plan, Ryou didn't have time to talk like this, but he pushed aside those thoughts. He was worried about his friend. "Do you want to tell me about it? It sounds like maybe something Jou and Honda wouldn't understand." He folded his hands on the table, innocently checking his wristwatch as he did so.

"It's just a stupid fight that I had with…a friend. But it's over now." Yugi forced his amethyst eyes up and away from the table top, to meet Ryou's questioning brown ones.

"You made up, then?" Ryou asked with a bit of hope in his heart. _If the pharaoh and Yugi are back together, then maybe the world has a chance after all…_

"No, not really…but you know, maybe it is better this way. I always relied on him, and now I can do things on my own, right?" Yugi attempted not to sound uncertain, but he wasn't sure if he managed as well as he wanted to. "It all works out for the best."

"I don't think losing a friend can ever be for the best," Ryou said softly, and Yugi's frown got a bit deeper, marring the younger boy's normally fair expression. "Especially when it is out of anger."

Yugi wasn't sure what to say. He felt his cheeks flush at the thought that maybe he hadn't given Yami enough of a chance. Had he been overreacting too much? Then again, Yami didn't even say he was sorry. "Well, I doubt we would have anything to say to each other even if we were talking." Yugi knew he sounded a bit childish, but he had every right to be mad, it was the pharaoh's fault, after all. Wasn't it…?

Ryou smiled a bit, and sipped at the cold tea, finding that the flavor wasn't all that bad. "Friendship sometimes takes a bit of work, Yugi." The white haired boy looked at his watch again, and sighed inwardly. "I hate to cut this short, but I have to get going. Would you like me to walk you home?"

Yugi glanced at the wall clock, and was surprised to see how much time had passed. "Oh, no; it's fine Ryou, I can find my way back." He stood, and took his mug to the sink and poured out the rest of the tea, running the water from the tap to wash it all down the drain.

"I would like to walk you. It's such a nice day out anyways." Ryou insisted, walking over to his shoes and slipping them on, as if to cement his own decision. Yugi followed suit, lacing his boots up tightly, and not arguing with his friend. It would be nice to talk on the way back.

The streets were sleepy in the late morning sun, and Yugi enjoyed the quiet in a normally frantic city. But when he looked to Ryou, he was surprised to see that his chocolate brown eyes were grim and a frown pulled at his mouth. "Hey, is everything OK?" he asked him quietly.

Startled, Ryou smiled in the sun. "Me? Yes, everything is great, Yugi! I was just thinking for a second." Almost reflexively, his hand moved to touch the thick cord that tied the ring around his neck, but he caught himself and turned the gesture into tucking his hair behind his ear.

"You just looked sad," Yugi tucked his hands in his pockets, and watched Ryou out of the corner of his eyes.

The white haired boy genuinely laughed, causing a resounding smile to form on Yugi's lips. "Sad? No, I am happy actually. I'm really glad I was able to spend time with you before I have to—" he stopped his words.

"Have to what?" Yugi asked in interest, kicking a small stone as he walked, before loosing the pebble down a storm drain.

"Go back to school!" Ryou finished quickly, mentally kicking himself, as guilt pained him for lying to his friend. "We never see each other since I quit—transferred!—out of your school." The boy wiped sweaty palms on his jeans, and was glad to see that the game shop was just ahead. Ryou was used to thinking rather than talking, and sometimes he forgot that in a real body you had to think _before_ you spoke. Nervously, he sped up the pace, making Yugi lengthen his stride to keep up.

"What is the name of your school?" Yugi asked, tapping his chin. "I don't remember you telling me. I could go and visit you someday—"

"OH! Here's your house!" Ryou gently pushed Yugi forward so the younger boy had to stumble up onto his own doorstep. "You wouldn't want to keep anyone waiting, would you?"

"But, no one's home—" Yugi tried to protest as he dug his keys out of his pockets. He pushed the key in, but when he turned it, he heard the sound of a deadbolt sliding across. Brow furrowed, he unlocked the door. "That's odd," he mused, pulling on the handle. "I thought I locked it when I left this morning, but it was unlocked just now," he pocketed the keys, and turned back to Ryou. "Do you remember me locking it or not?"

Laughing nervously, and wishing that Yugi was less perceptive, Ryou hastened to assure the boy that he must have forgotten to lock it when he left. "But anyways Yugi, remember what I said about your friend. You don't realize what you have until it is gone, and all that!" the white haired boy found the words almost sticking to his dry throat.

Shrugging, Yugi smiled up at Ryou. "Yeah, I know. It was great to see you again. I'm glad we didn't drift apart." One hand on the doorknob and one hand shielding his eyes from the sun, Yugi looked at his friend.

"You…too, Yugi." Ryou forced his voice to sound normal, but it was hard in a body that he now barely recognized as his own. He made his body turn, and wave, and bit his lower lip hard only when he knew that the other boy wouldn't see. Ryou wanted to say so much; to warn Yugi that next time they met, it would not be as friends, but he swallowed the words that were not part of the plan. He counted one step, and then turned around sharply to the game shop just as Yugi was closing the door. "Oh, wait, Yugi!" he called, and the door stopped closing. "Could I maybe use you're bathroom first?"

Yugi pulled the door open and allowed Ryou to step into the dim entrance way. "Sure, Ryou. It's upstairs, the third door on the left. And don't worry about your shoes, either."

Nodding in thanks, the white haired boy raced up the stairs, his rubber soled sneakers squeaking on the hardwood. Yugi shrugged, and bent to unlace his boots. He placed them neatly to the side. Frowning down at them, he moved the offending footwear off of the Egyptian rug, rolling his eyes at himself as he did so. He was just thinking if he would have enough courage to talk to Yami today, when he heard Ryou's voice calling him from upstairs.

"Yeah?" he called back, leaning on the banister to see up the stairs. "Do you need something, Ryou?" when there was no answer, the amethyst eyed boy grumbled and padded halfway up the stairs. "Ryou?"

"Come see, Yugi!" was the response, and now the little hikari ran up the rest of the stairs.

"Where are you?" he grumbled, when it didn't sound like the echo came from the bathroom. What was Ryou up to, wandering around the house?

Yugi walked down the hall, listening for his friend's voice. "Ryou, come on, what are you—AH!" a hand shot out from the doorway and pulled him roughly into a pitch dark room that Yugi barely had time to recognize as his own; as the person shut the door behind him while another hand covered the hikari's mouth tightly, preventing his call for help.

_I _knew_ I locked the door! Someone must've broken in!_ Yugi was able to think in panic, before the light was flicked on, and his amethyst eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.

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Ok, evil ending, I know. But this chapter was nice and long in compensation for the forever-and-a-half I took to update. And I feel like I should warn you, bring out the tissues. The next chapter is the last one for Photographs… **


	14. Ch 13 The Finale

**Disclaimer:** I am much too sad already. But if you feel the need to depress me further, then FINE, wrench it out of me. I don't own YGO. Happy now?

**Author's Note:** I can't quite fathom it, that this is the end. It started as just some scribble in my notebook, and this is the result. 92 reviews (OMG) and 7,327 hits. I just re-read it from start to finish, and there are parts I love, and parts I hate. But all in all, I wouldn't change a thing, because this story not only made me happy, it also made other people happy. And that is all I wanted. I might have more thought up on my profile. Many thanks to my reviewers: Pace, Almadine-Azaleea, Dogdate, Darkyami7, Oroko, HOPPY SAN 2345, Linzy, and Timme for all your repeat reviews. Everyone else, I love you to bits. It's all for you. Merci.  


**Reminder from last chapter:** _I _knew_ I locked the door! Someone must've broken in!_ Yugi was able to think in panic, before the light was flicked on, and his amethyst eyes widened in surprise at what he saw.

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The room flooded with light, and Yugi felt as if his heart was in his throat. His room had been completely changed. Covering his walls, and littering the floor and bed, were hundreds and hundreds of photographs. The hand slipped from his mouth, but the young boy barely registered it, as he looked in awe around his room. A light chuckle behind him made him remember the intruder, and he spun on his heel to see who it was. 

Ryou grinned back at his smaller friend's surprise. "Do you like the redecorating?" he asked innocently, nodding to indicate the pictures.

Yugi turned back to his room, and took a step more into it, slowly spinning as he looked around at all the pictures. He was careful to only walk on the photograph-free path on the carpeted floor. "Ryou," he whispered, "What is all this?" Yugi's voice was awed, as he faced a wall covered in snapshots.

"All the pictures of are you and him," Ryou said softly, as if not wanting to break the quiet moment. "I took every one out of the Pharaoh's album and put them up. And I made copies of some of the ones Jou and Mai had. I only had one to add, but there are still quite a few, aren't there?" he reached out and nudged Yugi in the back lightly. "Go look at them," he urged.

Numbly, Yugi peered closely at what decorated his walls. Each one held a memory, and some were newer than others. Posted just above his desk was a picture that made the corner of his mouth turn up in a half-smile. Yugi had been on his way over to Anzu's to meet up with the gang, when he had been caught in a rainstorm. His normally spiked up hair had been plastered to his face and shoulders with the rain. Jou had taken the picture, just as Yugi had come into the house, but it had ended up tilted to the side as Yugi had attempted to put up a hand to stop the shot. And in the background, Yami lounged against the half-open door, his crimson eyes sparkling in amusement, and a hand up to his mouth to shield his smile that no one would have been able to see anyways.

The next picture was of Seto and Jou in each other's faces; Seto was looking smug, arms crossed over his chest, and Jou was looking irritated, mouth open in a snarl. The blonde's one fist was raised, as if he wanted to knock the smile right off the millionaire's face. Yugi was standing between them, almost dwarfed by the two taller teens. The small gamer had his hands held up and was obviously attempting to quell the argument as best as possible. Yami was in the background in this photo as well, caught right in the middle of a very un-pharaoh-like rolling of the eyes.

Yugi reached a hand out to brush the tips of his fingers over the barest corner of the pictures. There were ones when they as a group had gone to the library. Yugi was chewing on a pencil, and Yami was leaning over a red book, looking interested in the title. One other was of Yami looking helpless as Yugi was captured mid-fall from an untied bootlace.

Some of the photos Yugi recognized as being taken by Anzu; it was well known her previous obsession with her camera she had received for her birthday. Still others were tiny cramped sticker-style pictures that you had to cram into a booth to take. These ones were stuck to his lampshade.

Yugi turned back to look at his white haired friend, not really noticing that his own amethyst eyes shone with tears. "Ryou, how did you do all this? How did you know that me and the pharaoh—"

Ryou reached out and slipped something up and over Yugi's head, letting it fall to settle around the smaller boy's neck. Yugi looked wordlessly down at the millennium puzzle, and then back to Ryou's amused chocolate brown eyes. "Ask him yourself, Yugi," He told him in explanation. "You have a lot to talk about."

Almost instinctively, Yugi brought his small hands up to cradle around the cool gold object around his neck. Though his bond with the pharaoh was still closed off, he felt what could only be compared to as a spark run up his fingers as he made contact with the item. He battled hard with the tears in his eyes, as he slowly turned to look at the bed, all thoughts of Ryou forgotten.

Yami sat a bit awkwardly on the comforter, gingerly placing himself between two sets of pictures that rested on the bed as well. He looked up and winced, then looked back down at his feet. "Hello Yugi," the pharaoh intoned, his voice soft. He smiled a bit as his hand ghosted over the photograph that he could see but not touch.

"Yami," Yugi breathed, a scant trace of a blush staining his cheeks at the awkwardness he felt in his heart where friendship used to be. "I…" he trailed off, and looked back to Ryou helplessly, only to find that the other boy had slipped back out of the room; closing the door silently behind him as he did so.

Yami sighed, and got to his feet, turning to look at all the pictures scattered over the once bare walls. "They're wonderful," he said in a shaky conversational tone. He pointed one ghostly finger, "That's the one I like the best."

Yugi turned to follow the pharaoh's indication. It was a smaller picture, pasted to the headboard of Yugi's bed. He recognized it right away, though it had been altered; for the original picture did not have only himself and the pharaoh in it; Honda had been there too. It was edited and enlarged to show just the two tri-colored hair teens. Yugi was grinning up at his counterpart, and Yami likewise was captured in the middle of a laugh. Peeking in the background was the lush grass of the park they had been at, and the bright sun of early spring. The two partners looked for the whole world as if the only thing they saw was the smile on the other's face.

"I like it too," Yugi admitted softly, his heart aching to have those fun, carefree times back. _Is this distance between us too great now? Can we ever expect it to go back to the way it was? It was our first real fight…things changed now. He'll be wary around me, and can I trust him like I used to?_ Filled with questions he had no answers for, Yugi just rubbed a thumb over the corner of the puzzle in his hands. "Yami, I—"

The pharaoh held up one translucent hand. "No, please let me. I'm afraid if I don't start, I never will." His crimson eyes were weary. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, afraid that he would say the wrong thing again. He cautiously moved closer to where Yugi stood, encouraged when his partner did not take a step back. "I wanted to say that I was sorry. You're the other half of my soul, Yugi, and when I thought I had lost you because of my selfishness, it made my heart ache."

Yugi could not make his eyes meet with those of his other self, and instead let his gaze wander about the pictures; never lingering on the scenes for too long or the tears would threaten to overflow.

The pharaoh continued, turning lazily left and right so he could see all of the decorations on the walls. "To me, these are my memories. I lost the ones I had from Egypt. I was frightened at the thought of loosing these memories of you— and loosing _you_ as well." A bitter smile graced his lips. "Is it strange that the time I have spent here, I value as much as I value my old life as a King?"

He continued on, not waiting for an answer to his question. "Everything can't go back to the way it was, can it? It will always be different now. But if you can forgive me, I can try again. I—well, Ryou and I—did this so you could see what I see." Yami moved closer still, and reached as if he wanted to place a hand on Yugi's shoulder, but stopped himself before trying. "I see _us_, Yugi. Just…us. I want you to be by my side as my partner and as my friend."

Quietly, for a full moment, Yugi was completely still. Then he felt his numb hands slide from the puzzle, letting its weight pull on his neck. As he did so, he felt his connection to the pharaoh blaze back open, and not even caring that Yami could hear every one of his jumbled thoughts now. _It won't be the same as before, it will be better. _Yugi closed his eyes; they were blurred with tears anyways. _I was so stupid, Yami. I was jealous, and I overreacted—_

_Shh, _Yami's deep mind voice was a heavy and comforting presence in Yugi's thoughts. Shakily, the pharaoh reached out a hand to let it hover just over the top of his aibou's head. _We…together we can do it. Because I…_Emotion overwhelmed even his thought-voice.

Yami moved without thinking. He reached forward tentatively, his crimson eyes half-lidded, and pressed his lips to Yugi's slightly parted ones. The young hikari's eyes flew open as he felt—not a ghostly apparition of the lost soul of the pharaoh—but the feather light touch of his first kiss. The moment stretched on to eternity, not even interrupted by the soft click of a camera's shutter.

Ryou smiled from his spot in the shadows, and set the new Polaroid picture down on the desk, its image not even developed yet. He then swiftly eased himself out of the room again, the camera held loosely in his hand. He stepped out of Yugi's house entirely, and checked his watch, smiling up at the sunlight as the wind ruffled his white hair. A minute passed, and for Ryou it was just long enough, until he heard the voice from the ring whisper, _It's time._

_I know,_ he said back, and placed his one hand on the cool metal of the millennium ring, allowing himself to be once again absorbed into its semi-darkness; reluctantly releasing his control of his body. When he opened his eyes again, they were a deeper brown, bordering on black.

_What were you doing at the baka-pharaoh's house?_ Bakura inquired, jamming his hands into his pockets. _What were you up to, Yadonushi? _The spirit asked suspiciously, turning on his heel, and stalking away. He didn't like being so near the millennium puzzle and knowing he had to bide his time. _Did you do something stupid?_

_I was just helping someone understand,_ Ryou said back, already getting ready to settle into the solitude of the ring. _And … we looked at some photographs._

XXXX

The small black frame suited the Polaroid picture perfectly. It was tucked away in a quiet corner of Yugi's bedroom—not hidden, but rather, treasured dearly. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but in cramped gold writing, only one was scrawled on the upper corner of the black frame; in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

'_Forever…'_

XXXX

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**The End. **

**To everyone who reviewed, or put this on favorites, or even just read it in general, thank you to the bottom of my heart. I couldn't have done it without you. I really need to go before I get even more emotional than I already am. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Yours Truly,**

**-SightX**


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